A STRUCTURAL makeover of
Timber Communities Australia
signals the beginning of an
exciting new chapter for the
grassroots organisation.
Following close consultation
with all sectors of industry
and the recommendations of a
national review, the TCA board
will step aside to allow an
interim board of three directors
who, among other priorities,
will seek to develop a reference
group as one component
of ensuring a workable,
representative and supportable
new structure.
The three interim directors
are Warwick Ragg, CEO of

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Oceania conference
timely update on NZ,
Australia wood trade
Challenges in Melbourne program
A FOREST plantation and wood
trade conference in Melbourne
next month will give delegates a
timely update on the position of
most segments of the industry
in Australia and New Zealand.
Both countries have undergone
several radical changes to their
industry structures over the
last 10-15 years, and these will
reviewed at the DANA Oceania
Forest Plantation and Wood
Trade Conference in Melbourne
on August 8 and 9.
The industry starts at the forest
gate, and major ownership
changes have occurred – from
government and industry, to
institutional ownership in both
countries.
DANA director and industry
consultant Dennis Neilson
says the ‘musical chairs’ of
ownership is likely to continue,
especially
with
a
newly
announced New Forests $570
million ANZ II Fund, a planned
new overseas investment fund
being raised by a US TIMO,
and three major Chinese buyers
entering the industry in New
Zealand.
The conference will focus on
this trend and will ask – is this
trend going to become big-time
in both countries?
In Australia, the MIS industry
fallout still has a way to go.
Mr Neilson said the major
woodchip export trade for both
softwood and hardwood was
challenging in 2013 as high
Australian and NZ dollar rates
had pushed up costs. But some
relief might be on the way with
weakening currencies.
“On the other hand, the
softwood log export trade has

been booming in 2013, with
major expansions to Australian
ports, and large volume
increases,” he said. “And, a
fledgling hardwood log export
industry from Australia might
develop into sizeable business.”
The New Zealand sawn timber
sector is heavily reliant on
exports, and has suffered at
the hands of European timber
taking such a large share of the
Australian domestic market –
previously New Zealand’s major
customer. This competition
has also seriously affected
Australian domestic producers.
Two large softwood sawmills
changed hands in Australia
in late 2012, signalling a new
investment cycle in Australia.
The forestry and forest industry
sector of New Zealand is the
third largest product exporter
and plays an important part in
the country’s economy.
In Australia, it makes up a
smaller share of the economy,
Cont Page 9

The New Zealand sawn timber sector is
heavily reliant on exports, and has suffered at
the hands of European timber taking such a
large share of the Australian domestic market
Page 2 | issue 278 | 15.07.13

important input into the required
organisational changes.
The interim board would operate
for a short time, oversee the
required changes (constitutional
amendments,
consultations
with members, branches and
potential affiliates, and some
communications
system
improvements)
and
move
quickly to the new structure.
A new national coordinator
would also be appointed at the
appropriate time, Mr Woods
said.
A TCA annual general meeting
will be convened at the
earliest possible date to elect
a new board. The three interim
directors would leave the board
at that time.
The recent review of TCA
confirmed that the organisation
needed to change – to reflect
the changing communities it
serves.
“Importantly, as part of the
review and after receiving
feedback from TCA members,
the TCA board and some key
stakeholders have now worked
through a proposed and revised
structure which can be more
grassroots, more efficient and
more durable into the future,”
Tim Woods said.
This structure proposes to:
• Retain branches and ensure
they are represented on the
board, with the aim of achieving

Fighting for jobs at the grassroots .. the timber community rallied in
Huonville last year to support the forest industry in Tasmania.

broad representation from as
many states as possible.
• Support branches which
want to become separate
organisations and to ‘affiliate’
to TCA [it is a matter of pride
for TCA that some branches
have reached the stage where
they have become fully fledged
community organisations with a
wide range of interests].
• Create a new category for
existing
community
based
organisations to ‘affiliate’ to
TCA and be represented on the
board.
• Establish a forest industries
stakeholder forum for TCA to
meet and discuss the important

issues to communities and
industry with the forest industry
and
industry
stakeholder
organisations.
Membership will remain open
and members will be supported
by modern communications
systems that are effective and
efficient.
“Everyone
knows
financial
resources are tight in Australia’s
timber
communities,”
Mr
Woods said. “However, national
coordination
and
effective
communications remain critical,
so efforts are under way to
secure enough stable funding
to ensure TCA can continue to
operate.

‘The TCA board and some key stakeholders
have worked through a proposed and revised
structure which can be more grassroots,
more efficient and more durable into the
future’ – Tim Woods

“The aim of these changes
is to place TCA’s grassroots
members,
branches
and
other like-minded community
organisations at the head
and at the heart of TCA. The
changes are designed to
improve the effectiveness and
representation of timber-based
communities.”
To protect their interests and
because the job roles are
changing, the staff of TCA, with
their agreement, were made
redundant, just prior to the end
of June.
Mr Woods said the outgoing
board, on behalf of all members,
wanted to record its appreciation
to the staff of TCA, both past
and especially present.
“Their efforts have been tireless
and in recent years, stressed
and stretched by limited
resources
and
seemingly
limitless challenges,” he said.
“They, and the outgoing board,
have earned and retained the
respect of industry.”
In a message to industry,
Mr Woods added: “This is
the beginning of an exciting
new chapter for TCA and for
Australia’s timber communities
and the people who live in them.
We hope that like all of us, you
will participate in this process
and where possible, assist to
rejuvenate TCA.”
He said TCA members would be
kept informed as the transition
proceeded.

Cypress mill ‘white-anted’ by government red tape
ONE of Australia’s biggest
cypress producers has been
forced to shut down, blaming
tough marketing conditions and
“ever-mounting red tape” by
government authorities.
“It’s a sorry state of affairs,” said
Don Collins whose family has
operated N.K. Collins Industries,
based in Toowoomba, for more
than 60 years.
“We just couldn’t hang on,

the hurdles were too great.
Successive
governments
at all levels have burdened
us with increasing workers’
compensation, rates, power
costs, the list goes on,” Mr
Collins said.
“We were left with 60 employees
and this was costing $30,000 a
month in workers’ compensation.
Rates at the Toowoomba site
alone were $50,000.”

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N.K. Collins goes into voluntary
receivership after 60 years of
considerable investment in the
industry. The company at one
time operated five sawmills and
invested millions of dollars in
machinery. The Toowoomba
processing plant boasted the
largest modern kiln drying plant
as well as high speed planing
machines, sizing and proof
grading equipment, automatic

fault line dockers, and a state-ofthe-art automatic end-matcher.
In the 1990s, the company
diversified part of its operations
into the export market with sales
to US, New Zealand, Brazil,
southeast Asia and Japan.
The US and Japanese markets
expanding rapidly due to the
unique properties of cypress
being durability class 1 and
termite / white ant resistant.

Directors warned
on Great Southern
forest yields claim
TESTIMONY by a former director
of Great Southern Group will
have major ramifications in a
massive class action against the
failed forestry and agricultural
investment company.
Court documents reveal former
board director and forestry
manager Gavin Ellis has come
forward to claim he personally
warned the company’s most
senior executives that publicly
listed yields for Great Southern’s
forests were flawed early in the
previous decade.
A report in the Financial Review
says these forecasts were a key
sales plank for the former listed
company as it raised $1.8 billion
from 47,000 investors during a
half-decade.
The FN report says the new
evidence has prompted the
lawyers, representing 20,000
investors seeking redress in the
case, to ask successfully in the
Victorian Supreme Court for the
trial to be reopened.
The case has already run for
months and closing arguments
were due to be heard this
month. It centres on whether
the company misled investors
with its claim that it could yield
250 cub m of timber from every
hectare of woodlot.
Court documents show Gavin
Ellis’s evidence would be partly
based on a personal portfolio
he had kept after leaving the

Page 4 | issue 278 | 15.07.13

company.
The plaintiffs’ lawyers claimed this
was highly significant because it
revealed that there were doubts
about the yield claim well before
the company collapsed in 2009.
Mr Ellis has said he had
complained about demands
to keep information from other
board members.
The Financial Review report
says that the documents are
claimed to show communications
between key management about
the productivity of the land,
complete land evaluation reports,
and worksheets detailing yields.
Mr Ellis is reported as saying
that relying on improved farming
practices to bridge the gap
between “actual yields of existing
schemes and the forecast
yields of future schemes was
unrealistic”.
In 2006, a WA Forest Products
Commission report on a trial plot
planted in 1998 on Gavin Ellis’s
personal property at Dingup near
Manjimup showed the growth
of western blue gum against a
Tasmanian provenance of blue
gum ( Eucalyptus globulus) wildly
surpassed early predictions.
On volume per hectare, the
western blue gum plantation
outperformed the Tasmanian
provenance by an incredible
63%. The trees were also taller
and straighter with double
Cont Page 13

11: Forest and wood Products
Australian AGM. In conjunction
with meeting of the Australian
Timber Importers Federation and
an industry value chain seminar.
An industry dinner is planned for
Thursday evening, October 10.
Information about the AGM and
seminar will be circulated at a later
date.

SEPTEMBER
3-5: woodEXPO 13 - Albury, NSW.
11-13: Rotorua, NZ.
World leaders in wood processing,
manufacturing and new product
technologies will speak at the
region’s first ‘business-tobusiness’
wood industry show. The new expo
will provide local companies management as well as production
staff – exposure to new technologies
that can improve their own
efficiencies and productive capability.
Leading technology providers from
Europe, North America and Asia will
join with each of the main equipment
and product suppliers from New
Zealand and Australia. Full details
on the expo, summit and technology
workshops are available on www.
woodexpo2013.com
27: FSC Friday.
A global celebration of the world’s
forests highlighting the importance
of responsible forest management.
Every year, schools, businesses,
individuals, forest owners/managers
and other organisations around the
world get involved in spreading the
word about FSC and responsible
forestry. Visit http://www.fscfriday.
org/index.htm

DECEMBER
4-5. Focus on improving transport
and logistics in the forestry sector.
It will build on the excellent program
designed by the Forest Industry
Engineering Association. Visit
www.foresttechevents.com

Australia’s forest, wood,
pulp and paper products
industry
now
has
a
stronger voice in dealings
with
government,
the
community and in key
negotiations
on
the
industry’s future, as two
peak associations have
merged to form a single
national association.
The
Australian
Forest
Products
Association
(AFPA) has been formed
through the merger of the
Australian
Plantations
Products
and
Paper
Industry Council (A3P) and
the National Association of
Forest Industries (NAFI).
AFPA was established to
cover
all
aspects
of
Australia’s forest industry:
- Forest growing;
- Harvest and haulage;
- Sawmilling and other
wood processing;
- Pulp and paper
processing; and
- Forest product exporting.
For more information on
the
Australian
Forest
Products
Association
(AFPA) or to enquire about
membership , please call
(02) 6285 3833.

issue 278 | 15.07.13 | Page 5

INDUSTRY NEWS

Oregon law will allow loggers to sue
activists who block forest operations
THE Oregon Senate has
approved a bipartisan House Bill
that allows logging companies to
sue environmental activists who
block logging operations.
The state, with more than 12.1
million ha of forest land, is the
number one lumber producer in
the US, accounting for 18% of
total US softwood production.
Nearly half the state is under
forests and there has been
virtually no net loss of forests
throughout Oregon’s recorded
history.
The Senate passed Bill 2596
on a 25-3 vote. The bill allows
logging and forest management
companies
with
contracts
applying to state lands to sue
activists for financial damages
when activists obstruct or
sabotage logging and forest
management operations.
The House approved its version
of the Bill in April, but the Senate
added an amendment reducing
the statute of limitations from six

Nearly half the state
is under forests and
there has been
virtually no net loss
of forests throughout
Oregon’s recorded
history

Page 6 | issue 278 | 15.07.13

Order and fairness .. new state law protects Oregon logging operations.

years to two.
“This bill benefits Oregon by
ensuring there is order and
fairness to all in the state’s forest
practices of our state,” Senator
Betsy Close said. “That benefits
our economy and the public’s
safety.”
A companion Bill, HB 2595,
would have created a crime
of “interference,” applying to
protesters who intentionally
engage in conduct that “hinders,”
“impairs,” or “obstructs” forest
management practices in a
forestland or forest access road.
Offenders would have faced
a mandatory minimum prison
sentence and fine. The Bill died
in the senate judiciary committee
in late May after some senators
expressed concern it might
violate free speech rights by

Senator Betsy Close .. bill
benefits economy and the
public’s safety.

specifically targeting logging
protesters.
John
Charles,
president
and CEO of Cascade Policy
Institute, a public policy research

organisation based in Portland,
supports the Bill.
“I believe HB 2596 will benefit
Oregon by allowing contracts
that have been lawfully executed
to be implemented on the
ground,” he said.
Mr Charles said he supported the
companion bill, also.
Senator Close said protesters
were taking the law into their
own hands by trying to physically
block legal activities.
“Their ability for remedy is in the
court system. Once a logging
contract is signed and found in
compliance with Oregon’s Forest
Practices Act, the private entity
has a right to proceed under the
law,” she said.
“Those who hinder are technically
trespassing, and they should
be held accountable. They are
breaking the law.”
Environmental activist group
Cascadia Forest Defenders is in
no doubt the Bill will be signed
into law.
“Our reaction is basically ‘bring
it, we aren’t going anywhere,’” a
spokesman said.
“Cascadia Forest Defenders will
continue to do whatever it can to
physically block any native forest
clear cutting that we have the
resources to address, regardless
of any legal or financial penalties.”

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INDUSTRY NEWS

‘In the face of community outcry,
the Minister calls on his mates’
COALITION
forestry
spokesman Senator Richard
Colbeck says it was farcical
for Tasmania’s Economic
Development Minister to
respond to grave concerns
by
industry
and
local
government
by
meeting
instead with parties which
have a vested interest in the
sham industry shutdown.
Facing communities in crisis
and a collapsing timber
industry,
David
O’Byrne
called a meeting of the very
people who signed the deal
killing the state’s economy.
Senator Colbeck said the
minister had met with a subcommittee of signatories to
the so-called forest peace
deal, with both issuing
releases brushing aside angst
over poor governance, rushed
process and misdirected
money.
“This proves Labor and the
Greens have learnt nothing
from
successive
Auditor
General reports,” Senator
Colbeck said.
“Let’s call this out. It’s not
a
strategic
development
process – it’s a tacky shortterm
stimulus
package.
It’s not about reshaping
Tasmania’s economy, it’s
about trying to buy votes.”
Senator
Colbeck
also
discounted
a
list
of
motherhood
statements
released by Mr O’Byrne to try
to deflect real scrutiny about
accountability issues with the
scheme.
He said David O’Byrne had
not
answered
questions
asked on June 11 and reissued on July 2 relating to
the application process to
access the funding; who was
eligible; what were the terms
and conditions; the process
for assessing projects or
applications; who was on the
panel with Professor West
and how would they operate;

The new H2F envelope for
all species of softwoods
Our special blue coloured treatment formulation
using imidacloprid for termite protection south of
the tropic of capricorn (H2F)
Tanalith Ti is primarily designed for use with all
imported softwood timber products and can be
applied by dip or spray applications
The formulation has no discernable odour and low
toxicity providing safe working environment in
plant and after treatment
It is compatible with all types of process
equipment without corrosion or damage
to seals

Contact the Australian Lonza team for full
details of the Lonza value package.
phone:1300 650 636
issue 278 | 15.07.13 | Page 7

INDUSTRY NEWS

Busy times at FSC Australia

Policy CEO, new staff members appointed
A STRONG understanding of
voluntary standards schemes has
equipped Daniel Mackey well for
his new position as deputy CEO,
policy, at FSC Australia.
The role will be pivotal in running
the standards development
process,
coordinating
stakeholders and ensuring that
submissions are coordinated to
FSC International on the many
policy issues under way.
Mr Mackey has spent the
last five years working with
Fairtrade Australia and New
Zealand managing stakeholder
engagement and running policy
initiatives
He is completing a Masters in
Trade and Diplomacy where he
has conducted extensive research
into the Australian forest industry
and the institutional context for
developing norms around best
practice and sustainability where
FSC is a subject of detailed study.
He also holds qualifications in
international trade, politics and
international studies.

Mr Mackey starts with FSC
Australia on August 5, which
aligns with the organisation’s
timing of having a contract
with the commonwealth signed
and putting out expressions of
interest for the establishment
of the standards development
group.
FSC Australia CEO Natalie
Reynolds says it has been a
busy couple of months for the
team – the AGM and networking
dinner, appointment of two new

directors, the launch of the 2013
annual excellence awards and
attendance at the global network
meeting in Frankfurt early in June.
FSC Australia has also appointed
two other staff members –
Madeleine Alafaci, trademarks
officer, and Belinda Marino,
accounts officer – and has been
working on acquiring funding
to ensure delivery of a rigorous
FSC Australian national forestry
standard.
Ms Reynolds said the signing of
the funding agreement for the

$500,000 promised in the federal
Budget had been delayed due
to the change in government
structure following the leadership
change.
“We are in the final stages of
negotiating the terms of the
agreement and look forward to
getting under way,” Ms Reynolds
said.
“FSC Australia is also in
discussions with a major
foundation to fund a portion of
the project, and our ‘expression
of interest’ has progressed to the
second stage,” she sad.
“In the coming weeks, FSC
members and certificate holders
will receive correspondence
seeking support to build the
standard.
“We understand that times are
tough, and that some will not
have the capacity to assist, but
we are putting the call out to
anyone who might be interested,
or might know someone who
may be interested in being
involved in funding a portion of
the development process.”

‘We are in the final stages of negotiating the
terms of the agreement and look forward to
getting under way’ – Natalie Reynolds

NSW government bio-energy
move applauded by industry
THE Australian Forest Products
Association has welcomed the
announcement by the NSW EPA
that the state government intends
to change the rules to allow timber
waste and residues to be used for
electricity generation.
CEO Ross Hampton said this
common-sense move brought NSW
in line with other states and helped
bring Australia up to speed with the
rest of the developed world.
Biomass is the small branches
and offcuts left over when trees
are harvested and sawmill waste,
such as chips and sawdust, that
are generated by cutting round logs

into square timbers.
The use of biomass from byproducts of timber harvesting and
from the manufacturing of timber
flooring, furniture and house frames
is actively encouraged in advanced
countries such as Finland where it
is recognised that using biomass is
carbon neutral over the long term.
“Using biomass is good for the
environment as it displaces fossil
fuels with a renewable carbonneutral
resource,” Mr Hampton said. “You
can’t grow new coal, but you can
grow new trees, recycling the CO2
in the atmosphere.”

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Sawmill changes flag
new investment cycle
in Australian industry
From Page 2

but it is still an important sector,
especially in regional centres.
Both countries share radiata
pine as the most important
softwood, but unlike New
Zealand, Australia has a large
eucalyptus plantation estate,
which feeds into the woodchip
export business.
The wood panel industries in
both countries have followed
similar paths, especially for
MDF – with an early major
expansion phase, followed by
some difficult times, with mills
changing hands and/or closing.
The major expansion action has
been occurring in China over
the last five years but increasing
worries about China’s ability to
provide raw material for further
expansion could play out back
to Oceania.
Other ‘new’ sectors such
as wood pellets to Asia and
biofuel/bioenergy opportunities
are also on the horizon.
All of these topics will be
discussed at the Melbourne
conference.
Speakers
include
Greg
McCormack,
chairman,
Midway Limited and president

$2m panel-cutting robot
part of unique CLT plant
WHAT some are referring to as
the world’s most sophisticated
panel-cutting robot has arrived
in Okanagan Falls in British
Columbia, Canada.
The federal government is
chipping in $2 million for
an addition to Structurlam
Products plant, which includes
cross-laminated timber panels
that will be cut, drilled and
notched by the robot.
Structurlam
president
Bill
Downing says the robot has
been imported from Germany

and allows them to costeffectively manufacture CLT
walls, which is the key to tall
wood buildings that are up
to 12 storeys high in other
countries.
The CLT plant is one of only
two in North America.
Structuram promotes CLT as
being six times lighter than
concrete; cost competitive
against steel and concrete;
reduces overall construction
time; and one-third thinner
than concrete.

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issue 278 | 15.07.13 | Page 9

WORLD NEWS

Interpol clamps down on $30bn
illegal timber trade across globe
Law enforcement project fighting for forests

AS the federal government
prepares to run information
sessions across Australia to
outline the Illegal Logging
Prohibition Bill, world crime
fighter Interpol has revised its
estimate of the worth of the
illegitimate timber trade up to
more than $US30 billion a year.
In collaboration with the
United Nations, Interpol has
launched the Law Enforcement
Assistance for Forests project
(Leaf), which fights the crime of
illegal logging and the trafficking
of such timber.
In a BBC World Service
interview, project team leader
Davyth Stewart said the
legitimate annual global trade
was estimated to be $US115
billion.
“Billions of dollars are invested
in forest protection around the
world and, as a result, organised
crime is looking seriously at
the timber industry as a way of
generating revenue, and also
for laundering the proceeds of
crime,” Mr Stewart said.
“That is theft of natural resources
from some of the poorest
countries in the world,” he adds.
The private sector is also
missing out significantly.
“They are losing opportunities
to tax that revenue,” Mr
Stewart says, “They are losing
opportunities to auction logging
permits.”
He said most of the profits
generated by the timber industry
were in the processing, transport
and production of timber. He
explains how Interpol is looking
at the illegal logging industry at
the highest level.
“We are looking for those that
are the kingpins in this ‘timber
mafia’,” he says.
“They are processing that timber
and laundering those proceeds
through foreign banks and tax
havens.”
The problem is global, he told

Page 10 | issue 278 | 15.07.13

Big money stream .. illegally-cut mahogany logs are floated down the Iriri
River in Altamira, in the Amazon state of Para in Brazil.

Davyth Stewart
.. theft of natural
resources.

John Simon ..
a guarantee to
customers.

the BBC, with illegal logging
prevalent in the Amazon
Basin, the Congo, Borneo and
Sumatra, southeast Asia, central
America and Russia.
“In Indonesia alone, illegal
logging is estimated to cost up
to $8 billion a year,” Mr Stewart
said.
However, global timber markets
are moving to eliminate illegal
logging through the US Lacey
Act, the EU timber regulations
and legislation in Australia and
New Zealand.
John Simon, chief executive of
Simmonds Lumber in Australia,
says the company took a
decision at board level some
years ago that any responsible

Jonathan Geach ..
a complex technical
feat.

business should implement a
process of due diligence that
ensures that any product they
purchased comes from a legal
source.
“We were not prepared to stand
in front of our customers and
not guarantee the legality of the
wood we sell them,” he said.
“Although
many
of
our
customers at the moment are
not demanding this, it was a
decision we took to step ahead
of the industry,” he said, adding
it was a “moral responsibility”.
Timber that Simmonds Lumber
imports ends up as house
framing, decking, flooring and in
furniture.
“Our customer base is timber

‘We were not prepared to stand in front of our
customers and not guarantee the legality of
the wood we sell them’ – John Simon

merchants, retailers, builders,
cabinet makers and anyone who
deals in timber,” Mr Simon said.
“Our expectation is that within
the next 24 months all importers
of timber into Australia will be
required to provide some due
diligence that ensures legality
under the new Illegal Logging
Prohibition Bill.”
He explains how, when buying
from Indonesia, which is
notorious for illegal logging, his
company obtains a certificate
that proves the provenance of
the timber.
Rather
than
relying
on
documentation, which can be
faked, they have the scientific
backing of a DNA system
introduced in 2009.
Ensuring a premium product
increases the cost but, as the
Australian market is highly
competitive, it is not a cost
Simmonds Lumber feels it can
pass on to its customers.
The company at the forefront of
this DNA testing is Double Helix
Tracking Technologies, based in
Singapore.
Jonathan
Geach
explains
how the testing is a complex
technical feat which enables the
genetic maps to pinpoint where
trees originated. It involves
scraping a small amount of
wood off a piece of furniture or
a floor.
“We then soak it in a number
of different chemicals, send it
through some centrifuges, and
use different types of chemicals
called primers to draw out and
isolate the DNA,” Mr Geach
said.
Australia’s
Department
of
Agriculture,
Fisheries
and
Forestry will meet with state
government officials as well as
timber importers, brokers and
processors in the states and
territories between July and
September.

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ENGINEERED WOOD

‘Plyscrapers’ challenges concrete
as taller timbers reach for the sky
WHEN a little-known Canadian
architect suggested last year
that a skyscraper could be
made almost entirely from
wood, the head of wood
engineering at one of Britain’s
biggest builders scoffed.
When
the
architects
responsible for the world’s
tallest building touted a similar
‘plyscraper’ in May, the idea
became harder to dismiss.
Skidmore, Owings & Merrill
(SOM) has designed dozens of
iconic skyscrapers, including
the Willis (formerly Sears)
Tower in Chicago, the new
World Trade Centre in New
York and the current record
holder, the 830-metre Burj
Khalifa in Dubai.
All are made primarily from steel
and concrete, the materials
of choice for tall buildings for

A different view on building .. ‘plyscrapers’ made almost entirely
from wood.

over a century. In its recent
Timber Tower research project,
however, SOM explored the
possibility of recreating a 125
m-tall reinforced concrete
residential building in Chicago
using a combination of timber
columns, wooden panels and
concrete beams and joints.
That the project concluded

it was technically feasible,
economically competitive with
traditional building methods,
and could reduce the building’s
carbon footprint by up to
75% came as little surprise to
Michael Green, the Canadian
architect who kick-started the
‘tall wood/ concept in 2012.
Mr
Green
is
currently

overseeing the construction
of North America’s tallest
wooden building in northern
British Columbia. Expected to
be completed next summer,
when it will stand at a relatively
modest 30 m, it is a showcase
for Canada’s wood products
and building expertise.
The case for wooden high rises
is rooted in their environmental
benefits; while concrete emits
nearly its own weight in carbon
dioxide during production, the
raw material for ‘plyscrapers’
literally grows on trees,
absorbing carbon from the
atmosphere as it does so.
Tomorrow’s wooden towers
will bear little resemblance
to pioneer-style log cabins
popular across much of
America.
They
rely
on
Cont Page 14

Don’t give traders who cut
corners a licence to sell
wood that threatens the lives
and livelihood of our workers.
Face the facts
FACT: All EWPAA structural
plywood and Type A bond exterior
plywood have an emission class
of E0 or E1 certified under a
JAS-ANZ accredited system.
FACT: All EWPAA products
have a durability guarantee and all
EWPAA members carry liability
insurance.
FACT: All EWPAA products
can gain extra Green Star rating
points – one for low formaldehyde
emissions (E0 or E1) and one for
super E0 in office fit out.
FACT: Not all imported
non-certified LVL and plywood

meet these requirements. In fact,
laboratory tests show many
imported non-certified products
are continuously failing Australian
standards for emissions and
bonding strength and are life
threatening.
FACT: Manufacturers, agents
and suppliers trading in inferior
quality, unlabelled and
non-compliant plywood and LVL
risk damage to their business,
media exposure and high
penalties under Australian law.

POLITICAL
parties
and
candidates are being urged to
“put their money where their
mouth is” on supporting local
jobs by publicly committing to
use Australian-made paper for
all their promotional materials
during the upcoming federal
election campaign.
The Construction Forestry
Mining and Energy Union
has provided political party
directors with a list of Australian
paper products suitable for
their needs.
In a letter sent by CFMEU
national secretary Michael
O’Connor on behalf of pulp and
paper industry workers, the
union pledges to publish a full
list of candidates and parties
that commit to using Australianmade paper products.
The letters coincide with the
launch a postcard writing
campaign involving thousands

Union is giving every
party and candidate
the chance to make
clear exactly where
they stand on
supporting the jobs
of Australian
manufacturing
workers

Buy Australian-made .. CFMEU puts pressure on paper users.

of pulp and paper workers
who are writing to politicians
from all major political parties
to demand they support local
jobs by using Australian paper
for their election materials.
The
campaign
follows
the loss of more than 700
manufacturing jobs in the pulp
and paper industry during the
past three years, with mills
closed at Burnie and Wesley
Vale in Tasmania and machines
shut down in Millicent, SA.
“The CFMEU supports all
efforts to secure and create
Australian jobs, and we note
many politicians and political
parties make frequent comment
to the same effect,” Michael
O’Connor wrote.
“To this end we are asking for

your party to take this simple
practical step to demonstrate
that commitment.

“We
will
publicise
the
responses to this request, both
from local candidates and from
party administrations, to our
members, their communities
and the broader public.”
The union has been pursuing
bi-partisan
support
for
procurement and standards
policies to enable Australian
manufacturers
of
paper
products to compete with
imported products on a
more equal basis through
their ongoing ‘Let’s Spread It
Around’ campaign.
Mr O’Connor said the union
was now giving every party
and candidate the chance to
make clear exactly where they
stood on supporting the jobs
of Australian manufacturing
workers.
“We’re giving aspiring political
representatives the chance to
put their money where their
mouth is by providing a tangible
way that they can help support
Australian
manufacturing
workers,” he said.
“The CFMEU will be ensuring
that come election time, the
public will be able to find out
which of their local candidates
committed
themselves
to
buy Australian made, and
who refused to do their bit to
support Australian jobs.”

Gunns receivers negotiating sale of Scottsdale site
RECEIVERS for Gunns say they
are keen for further talks with a
Dorset industries group about
buying the 34 ha Ling Siding
sawmill site at Scottsdale.
However,
receiver
Bryan
Webster would not commit
KordaMentha to delaying a
proposed online sale of assets
from the site, due to start last
Thursday.
Dorset Renewable Industries
chairman
David
Hamilton

Page 12 | issue 278 | 15.07.13

called on KordaMentha and the
ANZ Bank to delay the further
sale until the industries group
finds out whether its Tasmanian
Forestry Agreement funding
application is successful.
Mr Webster said that most of the
Ling Siding sawmill assets had
been available on the market
from earlier this year. Much of
the plant and equipment was
sold months ago.
Seventeen large sheds are

scheduled to go on sale via
online auction.
David Hamilton said that his
group had identified the Ling
Siding site as a resource
appropriate to the development
of a new business.
However, the further sale
of the plant and equipment
would significantly reduce its
attractiveness.
Mr
Webster
said
that
KordaMentha was awaiting

a decision by the Supreme
Court of Victoria on the future
of Gunns’ managed investment
schemes so that it could work
out which trees could be part
of any sale of the company’s
proposed Bell Bay pulp mill
assets.
“The decision may clarify the
question in relation to supply
options so that potential buyers
have a better picture of the
project’s potential,” he said.

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ENGINEERED WOOD

$27m program aims
to improve SA’s
sawmill productivity
FINLAND’S technical research
centre has been invited by the
South Australian government to
undertake a study of the state’s
potential as a competitive forest
industry.
The industry is being significantly
challenged as production levels
fall due to declining export
competitiveness and this is the
focus of the proposed study by
VTT Technical Research Centre
of Finland experts.
Achieving
world
class
productivity
in
existing
business combined with the
development of higher-value
added products is the key to
creating a sustainable future for
the forestry industry. The VTT
study into increasing industry
productivity and developing
more sustainable and highervalue add products from the
Limestone Coast’s forestry
resources involves working
with local industry to identify
achievable short, medium and
longer term sustainable market
opportunities.
The study is a key initiative
of the state’s manufacturing
works strategy, and is also one
of the key actions identified in
the Limestone Coast Economic
Diversification report. The goal
is to identify new business
opportunities suitable for local
companies as well as raising
the technological level of the
region’s industry to meet the
requirements of a competitive

modern fibre-based industry.
In addition to the study, the state
government has launched the
South East Forestry Partnerships
Program which is a $27 million
state
assistance
package
designed to encourage a viable
and strong timber sawmilling
industry in the region.
The first phase of the project
executed by VTT Technical
Research Centre of Finland
examines the current business
structure in the Mount Gambier
region.
The second phase of the study
will chart the future pathways
for the forest industry in Mount
Gambier and the opportunities
for production with a higher
added value. During the
second phase, road maps will
be prepared with the goal of
guiding the development of
new, fibre-based industries in
the Mount Gambier region as
well as identifying business
opportunities utilising emerging
technologies.
Both the state and federal
governments have committed
the necessary resources for the
two phases of the study.
The approach being taken by the
SA government in developing the
strategy will be part of a wood
processing summit in Albury on
September 3. Full details on the
summit, part of the WoodEXPO
2013, can be seen on the event
website, www.woodexpo2013.
com

Good growth in early FPC trials
From Page 4

the number of straight trees
compared with the Tasmanian
provenance, which has been a
recommended seed provenance
for WA plantations for a long time.
The forest commission’s tree
breeding manager at the time said
it was gratifying to see that all the
work over the years had made
such a significant difference.

“Since this first stage of
improvement from the FPC’s
open pollinated seedling seed
orchard, further advances have
been made and we are now
developing clonal orchards where
the predictions are for a 25%
improvement.
“But if history is to repeat itself
then this could be a significant
under estimation.”

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DANA Melbourne
‘Oceania Plantation and Wood Products
Trade Conference: August 8 and 9, 2013
With less than a month to go until the DANA
Melbourne Conference, it is time to register!
There will be many “highlight” presentations at the
meeting, all presented by recognised and highly
regarded speakers on:

• The Oceania plantation transaction trade – given a very
recent boost by a huge closing of the NF ANZ II Fund.

• The softwood and hardwood woodchip trade: from a

suppliers’, and an importers’ viewpoint; – and just how
much pulpwood does Australia have?

• Oceania woodpellets – will they have a future with the
expected new Asian demand growth?

• The global and Paciﬁc Rim softwood log and lumber

supply demand and supply balance. Is a supercycle in
the making – and how Oceania lumber production,
domestic and export sales trends ﬁt into this?

• The rapidly growing Oceania log export trade – how far
can it go?

• The Paciﬁc Rim Wood Panel industry, and where
Oceania production might ﬁt in the future.

• Global and Paciﬁc Rim pulp and paper industries: has
Oceania got much of a long term future in these
industries?

engineered wood products
called ‘mass timber’ where
multiple thin layers of wood
are glued or pinned to form
solid panels and beams. The
production process removes
natural variations from the
wood, resulting in consistent
and interchangeable structural
elements. These are then cut
to fit in computer-guided mills
before being shipped to the
building site, dropped into
place by crane and bolted
together.
Michael Green hopes that his
Canadian edifice will not hold
the ‘world’s tallest’ title for long.
He is making his construction
system freely available to other
architects and builders under a
Creative Commons licence.
But challenges to reaching

Michael Green .. desiging for tomorrow.

for the sky remain, especially
for the biggest construction
market in the West, the
United States. There are no
American
manufacturers
producing CLT panels. This
makes it impossible for
government-financed building
projects, which are obliged

to use domestic materials, to
make the transition to wood.
Moreover, the volumes of
wood required might strain
sustainable resources.
Building the Timber Tower
would require the equivalent
of 2700 km of 60cm x 120cm
planks. Another drawback is

that CLT is unlikely to make
an appearance in American
building codes until at least
2018. Projects using nonapproved
products
can
often still get built, albeit
after expensive testing and
with liabilities falling on the
shoulders
of
designers,
architects and engineers.
None of these issues seems
to be preventing some in the
construction industry from
branching out into wood.
Michael Green is hoping to
build a record-breaking 60 m
‘plyscraper’ for a university in
western Canada. At less than
a tenth of the height of the
mighty Burj Khalifa, however,
wooden skyscrapers still have
a long way to grow.
– The Economist

Adrian de Bruin pushes for biomass plant in Mt Gambier
MOUNT Gambier, SA, forestry
consultant Jerry Leech has
backed calls for the production of
biomass electricity in the region
following a push by prominent
businessman Adrian de Bruin.
Dr Leech came out in support
for the renewable energy source
after Mr De Bruin told The Border
Watch biomass electricity would

boost the region’s ailing forestry
industry and local economy.
Mr De Bruin, who sold his share
in Auspine in 2008, said the
opportunity to produce biomass
energy was enormous, with
a large supply of wood fibre
available in the region.
He said a 60 megawatt plant,
which would need 600,000 tonnes

of wood fibre to run, would serve
the ongoing energy demands in
the region at a constant rate.
Dr Leech agreed that a biomass
plant could service the region’s
energy needs while helping to
revive the forestry sector. He said
a biomass plant would eradicate
waste by turning the wood fibre
into pellets, which would then be

used to generate electricity.
“If you have a plant that creates
pellets, those pellets could go out
either overseas from Portland or
be used internally,” he said.
Dr Leech said there were a
number of potential locations for
the plant but agreed with Mr De
Bruin that a sawmill would be
ideal.

ThIs engineered product is manufactured from small diameter treated true
round plantation logs that would normally be chipped or destroyed. Resource
cost is minimal.
The production system is low capital cost and can be set up in a minimum of
time and at a minimum of cost. Compared with current systems such as LVL,
sawn timber etc. this product has unrivalled versatility, fire resistance, projected
longevity and sustainability.
This product has the ability to lower the costs of floor and wall framing in modern homes, as well as being ideal for low-cost housing The entire buildings can
be erected on site using unskilled labour.
The product has undergone comprehensive testing at the engineering faculty
of the University of Technology Sydney under the guidance of internationally
renowned timber engineer Prof. Keith Crews.

Engineered Timber Products

Loggo products have undergone comprehensive
testing at the engineering faculty of the University
of Technology Sydney.

PAgE 14 | issuE 278 | 15.07.13

The project is keen to establish a plant near a guaranteed resource.
Contact: (02) 4256 4767 or email pat@loggo.com.au
www.loggo.com.au

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Cutting red tape policies will
boost productivity in housing
THE
Coalition’s
policy
announcement last week on
boosting
productivity
and
reducing regulation as part of a
critically important policy debate
for the federal election has been
welcomed by Master Builders
Australia.
CEO Wilhelm Harnisch said
he looked forward to seeing
the government’s policies to
boost productivity and reduce
regulation in response.
“Building and construction is one
of the most intensely regulated
industries in Australia, with
legislation and red tape applied
at all three levels of government,”
Mr Harnisch said
“Time spent dealing with red
tape and duplicative compliance
processes
diverts
precious
resources from the industry and
stops it from doing what it does
best – creating jobs, driving
the economy and building
homes, hospitals, schools roads
and other vital community
infrastructure.
“There has been a raft of
legislation
and
regulation
introduced in recent years
that are anti-productivity and
add unnecessary costs. The
policy discussion focusing on
increasing
productivity
and
decreasing regulation is certainly
welcome.”
Mr Harnisch said in recent times
legislation had been introduced
without robust and transparent
consultation.
Master
Builders
believed
new
legislation
should
only be introduced with an
accompanying regulation impact
statement that could not be
circumvented by the government
of the day.
“Providing
incentives
for
government and bureaucrats to
reduce the amount of regulation
and red tape imposed by
legislation and setting aside
parliamentary sitting days to
repeal outdated legislation is a

Cutting red tape .. boosting productivity and reducing regulation in
the building industry is a critically important policy debate for the
federal election.

welcome approach,” he said.
Master Builders has also
welcomed
Prime
Minister
Rudd’s announcement of a
national competiveness agenda
as Australia transitions from a
resources driven economy.
Mr
Harnisch
said
the
competitiveness agenda was
an important turnaround in the
national policy narrative.
“The building and construction
industry must feature large as
the economy transitions from
the mining resources boom,”
he said. “The new agenda must
result in an increase in global and
domestic competitiveness as
well as increasing productivity.
“Master Builders would support
an
agenda
that
focuses
on
business
productivity,
addressing the regulatory impost
on business, education, skills
and training, infrastructure and
improving the small business
environment.

“While
the
national
competitiveness agenda will have
a focus on the labour market,
Master Builders disagrees with
the Prime Minister that the
Fair Work Act represents the
right balance in the workplace
relations system.
“The building and construction
industry needs a more flexible
workplace relations system
that supports productivity and
makes it easier for businesses
to hire more workers and train
apprentices.
“The Fair Work Act is dramatically
skewed towards the trade union
movement and acts as a barrier
for building industry employers,
especially small businesses, to
take on more workers.
“Conversations about the labour
market must also focus on
returning to a respect for the
rule of law in the building and
construction industry, particularly
by trade unions.”

‘Incentives for government and bureaucrats
to reduce the amount of regulation and red
tape imposed by legislation and setting aside
parliamentary sitting days to repeal outdated
legislation is a welcome approach’ –
Wilhelm Harnisch

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Master Builders has called on
the Prime Minister to commit to
restoring the Australian Building
and Construction Commission
to curb unlawful union behaviour.
“The national competiveness
agenda should also include
reforms to our tax system,” Mr
Harnisch added.
Meanwhile, Master Builders
has joined growing calls for the
government to reverse the $2000
cap on tax deductions for selfeducation expenses announced
in May’s federal Budget.
The cap is acting as a significant
disincentive for building industry
professionals to expand their skill
and expertise.
“The
building
industry
is
disappointed an extremely low
cap for tax deductions on selfeducation expenses has been
introduced. It will affect many
ordinary workers in the industry,”
William Harnisch said.
“It acts as a disincentive to obtain
vital licensing qualifications such
as diplomas or certificates in
building, which often cost in
excess of $5,000.
“It will also act as a disincentive
for builders and contractors from
attending important industry
professional
development
opportunities to learn about the
latest innovations in building
practice and safety.”
He said the cap was another
example of legislation brought
in by the government without
proper consultation and one
that worked against business,
entrepreneurship and innovation.
It also discriminated against
those who may not have access
to
government
subsidised
training.
Australia should be encouraging
workers to expand their skills
and expertise. Self-education
had an important role to play to
achieve a highly skilled national
workforce.

issue 278 | 15.07.13 | Page 15

iKEA products use 1 percent of
global commercial wood supply

Swedish retailer aims to be ‘forest-positive’ by 2020
THE wood furniture and home
accessories found at stores
around the world franchised
by the IKEA Group are indeed
made from actual lumber in
some shape or form and, not
surprisingly, the sustainabilityminded retailer consumes a
whole lot of it.
In news that really shouldn’t
surprise anyone, it has been
revealed that the Swedish
retailer uses a staggering 1%
of the global commercial wood
supply to manufacture its trendy
flat-pack home furnishings
beloved by college students
and
budget-conscious
decorators. That’s about 17.8
million cub yards of lumber
being used to make more than
100 million products including
hackable end tables and nonbook-friendly bookcases.
Roughly, 60% of products
sold at IKEA are made from
wood in some shape or heavily
engineered form (meatballs not
included).
This rather sobering figure has
been thrown around a lot over
the past few days after popping
up recently on the Pacific
Standard website.
IKEA posted record revenues
of $US36 billion in 2012 and
an 8% increase in net profit.
The US market was a primary
growth driver, with $4.1 billion
in total sales.
Among many positive steps
in the right direction by IKEA’s
‘people and planet positive’
strategy, it aims to source half
of the company’s wood supply
from FSC-certified forests by
2017 and become completely
‘forest-positive’ by 2020. In
2012, roughly 23% of IKEA’s

PAgE 16 | issuE 278 | 15.07.13

Mike Ward, president of IKEA USA .. growth market at $4.1 billion in
total sales.

wood originated from FSCcertified forests.
IKEA is deeply indebted to
wood; this year it used 13.56
million cub m of solid wood
and
wood-based
board
materials, not including paper
and
packaging,
meaning
IKIEA alone uses almost 1%
of all wood used commercially
around the world.
Already the company says that
all wood used in its products
is sourced from suppliers
complying with its own Iway
code of conduct. Now, the
company says it is going step
further. It will become ‘forest
positive’ by 2020, meaning
that, despite its continuing
high demand for timber, it
intends its business to have an
overall positive effect on the
world’s forests. Integral to this
approach is the commitment

that it will be growing at least as
many trees as it uses to make
products by 2020.
Crucially, it says it also intends
to become one of, if not the
biggest, user of certified wood
and recycled wood products
in the world. It will quadruple
the use of wood from certified
sources, translating into around
10 million cub m of wood by
2020.
The IKEA Group’s ‘people
and planet positive’ strategy
is a brand striving for
energy independence. The
commitment is to produce as
much energy it consumes by
2020 through a $1.95 billion
investment in solar and wind
projects.
In the near term, the megafurniture retailer plans to gather
70% of its energy demands
from renewable energy sources

Mega furniure retailer intends to become the
biggest user of certified wood and recycled
wood products in the world

by 2015, leveraging wind farms
in six European countries that
generated 152 gigawatt hours
of electricity last year, about
12% of the total needed for its
stores and distribution centers.
“The ‘people and planet
positive’ plan is designed to
protect the company from price
shocks and tap into customers’
desire for a greener lifestyle,”
says IKEA president and CEO
Mikael Ohlsson.
“Alongside its energy and
resource goals, the plan
commits the company to
helping IKEA’s 770 million
customers
save
money
through the use of more
efficient products, improving
sustainability throughout its
supply chain, and supporting
human rights and education
efforts.”
In the US, IKEA has upped the
number of solar installations
to 34 stores and distribution
centres, with five more in the
works, representing a 90%
solar presence in the US, along
with 33 electric vehicle charging
stations at nine stores in the
western part of the country.
“We want to create a better
every day for the many people.
A better life includes living more
sustainably,” Mr Ohlsson said.
“We have been working
towards that goal for many
years and have already done
a lot, and we are now ready to
take the next big step. ‘People
and planet positive’ will help
us to do that; transforming our
business and having an even
greater positive impact on the
world.”
– Extracts from The Guardian

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INTERNATIONAL FOCUS

Report: forest waste to increase
production of biofuel in Sweden
SWEDEN could easily increase
its production of biofuels to
cover more than a third of the
nation’s automotive fuel needs
by 2030 by using forestry
residues, a biorefinery report
has said.
By
utilising
forest-sourced
materials, such as residue from
forestry operations, wood from
forest grown for bioenergy and
agricultural waste products,
the country could increase its
biofuels production 10 times
in the next 17 years, states a
Swedish government report.
Part of the overall analysis
of how to wean the Swedish
transport sector off fossil fuels
and make it more carbon
neutral, the report, signed by
the Swedish Knowledge Centre
for Renewable Transport Fuels,
said the country could produce
as much as 25-35 terawatt hours
(TWh) of energy, while keeping
within today’s “technological
restrictions, and to a certain
extent also ecological and
economic restrictions”.
Trying to identify the most
suitable production methods, the
researchers looked into various
factors related to different
biofuel production strategies,
their energy requirements and
other sustainability factors.
They said factors that matter
most are the choice of raw
materials, conversion route,
location and size of production
units, transport logistics and
possibilities for joint production
with other energy carriers or

Söderenergi, a Swedish energy company that generates and supplies thermal energy for households, industrial plants and offices,
burns more than 1 million tonnes of fuel a year in five factories.
About 600,000 tonnes of this is residues from forest clearing, such as
tree branches and tops, transported by road and rail from Sweden
and by sea from Baltic countries. The use of discarded wood from
building sites and creosote-impregnated wood that is transported
by ship and truck from the Stockholm region, other parts of Sweden,
Norway, Belgium and England, represents 200,000 tonnes a year.

food or feed production.
“The type of biofuel matters
less,” says Joakim Lundgren
from the Luleå University
of Technology in Northern
Sweden.
“For a production system to
be considered sustainable,
it should be energy efficient
and not compete with today’s
production by the forestry
industry
or
agricultural
production.”
Production of biofuel from
forestry residues by way of
thermal conversion was seen as
the most efficient way of moving
away from the dependency on

fossil fuels.
Biofuel such as methanol or
dimethyl ether (DME) could
be produced by gasification
of branches, tree tops or byproducts from biorefinery or
pulp and paper making. Such
technology
could
deliver
considerable greenhouse gas
reduction while requiring only
low external energy input and
cost per unit.
Wood from ‘energy forests’
managed for the purpose
of producing bioenergy also
receives good marks for
greenhouse
gas
reduction
potential.

‘For a production system to be considered
sustainable, it should be energy efficient and
not compete with today’s production by the
forestry industry or agricultural production’

“Automotive fuels produced
from
energy
forests
via
gasification
or
ethanol
combined [with agricultural
production] leads to a reduction
per hectare which is about
50% larger than for most fuel
production systems based on
traditional agricultural crops”,
the government report says.
“If we add in initial carbon
losses due to an increased
use of bioenergy it still will be a
better alternative in the long run
than fossil fuels.”
External energy input for biofuel
produced from lignocellulose by
way of the gasification route is
estimated at 5-10%, compared
with about 50% for bioethanol
made from grains, the report
says.
Finally, biomass-based waste
from agricultural production
could be used on a “somewhat”
larger
scale
than
today,
in
appropriate
production
systems, according to the
report.
The report also suggests
focusing
on
technology
maturing and improvement,
for example making biogas via
fermentation or rot of organic
waste, which could even serve
as a way to recycle general
household waste. Moreover,
Sweden could increase its
use of land unsuitable for
agricultural production to grow
energy crops or rapid-growth
deciduous trees.

Lumber rises to new high as North America mills slow output
LUMBER
futures
have
rallied to a seven-week high
on speculation that North
American mills are slowing
output as demand increases
from home builders in the US
and China.

Some sawmills announced
plans in June and July to
reduce output, while exports
from the US jumped 7% in
May from April, including
a 34% increase to China,
according to Hakan Ekstrom,

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the president of industry
researcher Wood Resources
International.
US builders started work
on new homes at a 914,000
annual rate in May, up 29%
from a year earlier, government

data shows.
“Inventories are down through
the system, and housing starts
are increasing, so buyers and
consumers of lumber want to
make sure they have enough
wood,” Mr Ekstrom said.

issue 278 | 15.07.13 | Page 17

TIMBER PRESERVATION

TPAA rescues branding system

National body to maintain and operate plant register
ACCORDING to the Standard AS
1604, treated timber products
conforming to its requirements
are branded with a special code.
That code gives details of the
registered
treatment
plant
number and the allocated brand
for the approved chemical with
which the treatment has been
carried out.
These details have previously
been supplied by the Forestry
Corporation of NSW. However,
due to the recent repeal of the
NSW Timber Marketing Act, this
no longer the case.
Fortunately, however, the system
has been saved.
As the representative national
body for the timber treatment
sector, the Timber Preservers
Association of Australia (TPAA)
has accepted the invitation to
preserve the system.
As from July 1, the Timber

Timber treatment .. conforming to requirements.

Treatment Plant Registration
Authority responsibilites have
passed to TPAA which include
the maintenance and operation of
the Plant Register as well as the
allocation of approved branding
codes.
The Australian Pesticides and
Veterinary Medicines Authority
(APVMA)
and
Standards
Australia have been advised of
the change, and all treaters and
forest industries associations are

now being supplied with relevant
information by TPAA.
Any queries should be addressed
to the TPAA national secretary
Doug Howick on (03) 9596 8155
or email doug@tpaa,.com.au
TPAA represents the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s
timber preservation industry. It
is an organisation comprising
timber
treaters,
suppliers
of
preservatives,
research
organisations, and individuals
and bodies having an interest in

the use of preservative-treated
timber.
TPAA promotes knowledge of the
principles and methods of timber
preservation within the industry,
assists in the establishment and
adherence to standards for the
treatment of timber, and promotes
best practice in the production of
treated timber.
It is a requirement of the TPAA
that its members treat timber to
comply with national standards
and state legislation.
The association ensures its
members operate under sound
and responsible environmental
procedures, and that they
produce fit-for-purpose treated
timber products. These members
produce a range of treated timber
products to suit all uses, from
heavy industrial applications to
treated products for the house
and garden.

07 3266 1429

PAgE 18 | issuE 278 | 15.07.13

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ON THE ROAD

Crusin’ with the Cruze: Holden’s
Aussie-built baby sedan delivers
AUSTRALIA’S first locally made
small car since the 1990s, the
Holden Cruze could topple
the dominant Commodore for
outright sales supremacy.
The iconic Commodore, for many
years, the country’s favourite
passenger car, is nearing the end
of the road with no guarantees of
manufacture beyond 2016.
Holden has started plans to build
a medium-size, four-cylinder,
front-drive car alongside the next
generation Holden Cruze from
2017, but given the continuing
strong growth in sales of SUVs,
which are now the second
biggest market, Holden says it
may re-evaluate its position.
We zipped up to Montville in the
Sunshine Coast hinterland in
the new Cruze sedan Sri-V AT
and the 1.6 litre iTi turbo petrol
engine – standard on both the Sri
and Sri-V – delivered responsive
performance and surprising
efficiency.
With two motoring writers on
board, we agreed it was an
exciting drive with 132kW of

Holden Cruze .. safety and economy.

power and 230Nm of torque. It
feels a much better balanced car
all round.
The Cruze comes with a manual
transmission for a combined
highway and city fuel economy
of 7.4L/100 km or the automatic
for more responsive acceleration
and a combined cycle of
7.9L/100 km.
All locally made Cruzes come
generously appointed with cruise
control, power windows, auto
headlights, trip computer, USB
input with iPod functionality and
the safety of six airbags and a

stability-control system.
The SRi-V brings rear parking
sensors, leather seats, heated
front seats and a remote key that
can be left in your pocket to open
doors and start the car. There’s
also satellite navigation with a
large colour screen.
Suspension and revisions to the
overall tuning ensure the Aussiebuilt Cruze is a step up on its
imported predecessor. The 17inch Kumho tyres deliver decent
grip in the dry, though in the wet,
they can reach adhesion limits
sooner than expected.

Inside there’s roomy space and
good adjustability to the driving
position. Controls are well laid
out.
Boot
space
is
very
accommodating, with 445 litres
of cargo rising to 1254 litres when
the rear backrests are folded.
The small car segment is ultracompetitive and the new Cruze
is a compelling buy. Holden has
sharpened the R.R. price tag on
this baby – $20,490 for the Cruze
Equipe 1.8 manual and $32,794
for the Cruze SRi-V auto. And
that’s plenty of car for the money.

How sweet it is – the mulberry Mirage
I BROUGHT the new mulberryhued Mitsubishi Mirage to a polite
stop at the lights to be joined by a
bellowing cattle truck on my left.
The beefy diver looked down and
blew me a kiss!
The colour and size of the car
had done it again. I smiled back
- what else could I do? - and the
semi chugged off. And I’m sure a
heifer gave me a wink, too.
The Mirage has a clear target
audience with sales primarily in
the metropolitan areas, with the
majority of buyers young females
and baby boomers downsizing
from larger cars.
The all-new Mirage gives
Mitsubishi entry to the booming
light car segment that has risen
from a modest 12,000 units in
2007 to last year topping 60,000
- up 21,000 vehicles in 2012

Mitsubishi Mirage .. luring young females.

compared to 2011.
Nine years after it was withdrawn
from Australia, the Mirage has
returned. Previously it was a
three-door hatch, this time
around it’s a five-door. As before,
this car features sharp pricing; its
recommended retail has barely
altered in the nine-year absence.
During the Mirage launch phase

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buyers paid a drive-away price of
$12,990.
There are three specification
levels - Mirage ES, Mirage ES
Sport and Mirage LS.
Technology includes Bluetooth
2.0, with media streaming, USB
and Aux input, and a CD player.
The steering wheel features
telephone and audio controls.

It has an all-new 1.2-litre, threecylinder engine with a choice
of five-speed manual or CVT
auto transmissions. The engine
produces 57 kW at 6000 rpm
and has maximum torque of
100 Nm at 4000 rpm. Mitsubishi
Mirage ES with a manual gearbox
has officially been rated at 4.6
litres/100 km fuel consumption
with the slightly heavier Mirage
LS rated at 4.8L/100 km in the
manual and 4.9L/100 km with the
CVT transmission.
Affordability is the key, but
buyers will be surprised by the
interior quality and design; beige
and black softer plastics create
a light, airy interior assisted by
a relatively narrow A-pillar that
gives the driver good vision.
The dash is highlighted by a
glossy piano black centre stacker.

issue 278 | 15.07.13 | Page 19

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